3-002-712 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Blessing Christ, 1340-1349. Fragment from a monumental crucifix. The Blessing Christ would have appeared at the top, while Mary and John the Evangelist would have occupied the left and right ends of the cross's horizontal beam. Pietro da Rimini imitated the naturalistic figural style of Giotto, the famed Florentine painter, but also excelled at combining dazzling colours and stylized expressions for dramatic effect. The exaggerated facial features of Pietro da Rimini's figures ensured that their expressions would be comprehensible even when suspended high above the floor.